**Race:** Half-elf **Age:** 87 (appears mid-30s) **Occupation:** Priestess of Laurel, Keeper of Oakrest Shrine **Alignment:** Neutral Good **Location:** Oakrest Village, Shrine of the Willow --- ## Appearance Sister Malwen possesses the ageless beauty common to half-elves, with fine features that blend human warmth with elven grace. Her skin has a faint golden undertone, and her eyes are a striking amber color that seems to glow softly in candlelight. Her hair, silver-blonde and worn long, is typically braided with sprigs of willow and bound with simple leather cord. She dresses in flowing robes of cream and soft green, embroidered at the hems with willow patterns in silver thread. Around her neck hangs a wooden holy symbol of Laurel—a willow tree with drooping branches carved from living wood that still shows faint green growth. Her hands are marked with soil from tending the shrine's garden, and she often smells faintly of herbs and incense. Unlike many clergy, Malwen goes barefoot within the shrine and village, believing in maintaining connection to the earth. Only when traveling does she wear simple leather sandals. --- ## Personality **Quietly Devoted:** Malwen's faith in Laurel is unshakeable but expressed through gentle actions rather than fervent preaching. She leads by example, offering comfort through presence rather than words. **Haunted by Visions:** The dreams and visions she experiences of Alira weigh heavily on her. She questions whether they are divine guidance or her own wishful thinking, creating an internal conflict that sometimes shows in moments of distraction. **Compassionate Listener:** Villagers seek her out not just for spiritual guidance but because she truly listens without judgment. She has heard every secret Oakrest holds. **Conflict-Averse:** Malwen avoids confrontation when possible, believing harmony serves the community better than discord. This sometimes leads her to remain silent when she should speak. **Quietly Defiant:** Despite her gentle nature, when Malwen believes something is Laurel's will, she cannot be swayed by threats or authority. This quiet stubbornness has occasionally put her at odds with Mayor Deyne. --- ## Background ### Heritage Malwen was born in a small settlement north of Duskwatch to a human mother and elven father. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father, grief-stricken, left her in the care of Laurel's clergy when she was only three years old. She has no memory of him and considers the priesthood her true family. ### Training Raised in the Duskwatch temple, Malwen showed early aptitude for healing magic and an unusual sensitivity to the natural world. Her mentors recognized her gift for sensing disruptions in the natural order—a talent that would later prove both blessing and curse. ### The Calling to Oakrest Twenty years ago, Malwen experienced a powerful vision of a willow tree growing at the edge of shadow, its roots holding back darkness. She interpreted this as a call to serve at Oakrest's small shrine, which had been without a dedicated priest for years. Despite warnings about the village's proximity to the Glade, she accepted the posting. ### Alira's Disappearance Malwen arrived in Oakrest only five years after Sister Fenya's disappearance. The village still mourned, and she heard many stories of the legendary cleric. When Alira vanished thirty years into Malwen's service, the parallel struck her deeply. She has felt Alira's presence ever since—in dreams, in the whispers of willow leaves, in the way shadows fall at dusk. --- ## Role in Oakrest ### Spiritual Guidance - Conducts weekly services at the shrine (modest attendance, but deeply valued by those who come) - Performs naming ceremonies, marriages, and funeral rites - Maintains the shrine's sacred garden where medicinal herbs grow - Offers counsel to troubled villagers, often late into the night ### Healing - Provides healing magic to the injured and sick, asking for donations but never demanding payment - Teaches herbalism and basic medicine to village women - Keeps a stock of healing potions for emergencies (restocks through trade with Duskwatch temple) ### The Dreams Malwen experiences recurring visions of Alira, though she tells very few about their specific content: - Alira bound among ancient stones, neither alive nor dead - A circle of corruption spreading from a central point in the Glade - Willow branches reaching toward Alira but unable to touch her - A sense of desperate calling, as if Alira needs help but cannot speak These visions have grown more intense in recent months, leaving Malwen exhausted and troubled. --- ## The Shrine of the Willow The shrine is a modest stone building at Oakrest's northern edge, identifiable by the large weeping willow that grows beside it (one of the few healthy trees this close to the Glade). Inside: - A simple altar of river stone with Laurel's symbol carved into its face - Wooden benches worn smooth by decades of use - Walls lined with dried herbs and flowers - A small library of religious texts and healing manuals - Malwen's private quarters—a single room with a cot, desk, and meditation space - The sacred garden behind the shrine where willow saplings grow alongside medicinal plants The shrine sees heaviest use during times of crisis and during seasonal festivals, but Malwen maintains it with equal care whether full or empty. --- ## Relationships **Mayor [[Mayer Harlon Deyne|Harlon Deyne]]:** Respects his dedication to the village but worries his purely martial approach ignores spiritual dangers. She wishes he would confide in her more but understands his skepticism. Their disagreements are always private and respectful. **[[Garrick Thresh]]:** An unexpected friendship. The gruff dwarf helps maintain the shrine's structure and occasionally sits in contemplative silence in the garden. She provides him someone to talk to about his frustrations. **Mira "Bellringer":** Close confidante. They share tea weekly, and Mira is one of the few who knows the full extent of Malwen's visions. Mira's practical faith complements Malwen's mystical approach. **Sister Fenya (memory):** Though they never met, Malwen feels a deep connection to Fenya's legacy. She tends a memorial stone in the garden and sometimes prays for guidance from the lost cleric. **High Priest [[High Priest Daren Hollis|Daren Hollis]] (Duskwatch):** Her superior in the church hierarchy. Their relationship is formal but strained—he thinks her visions are stress-induced delusions and has suggested she take a sabbatical in Duskwatch. She politely declines. --- ## Current Concerns ### The Visions Intensify The dreams of Alira have become more frequent and vivid, sometimes occurring even while Malwen is awake. She sees flashes of the corrupted stones, hears phantom whispers in Sylvan, and feels an overwhelming sense of urgency. She fears she's either going mad or that something terrible is about to happen. ### The Children's Dreams Several Oakrest children have reported nightmares similar to themes in Malwen's visions—shadows, whispers, feelings of being watched. She's deeply troubled that the corruption might be spreading its influence into innocent minds and has been blessing the children's homes with protective wards. ### Declining Health The intensity of her visions is taking a physical toll. Malwen sleeps poorly, often waking in cold sweats. She's lost weight, and her hands sometimes tremble during morning prayers. She hides this from most villagers, not wanting to add to their worries. ### The Call to Action Malwen increasingly feels that Laurel is calling her to act, not merely to pray and wait. But she's a healer, not an adventurer. The conflict between her desire to help Alira and her recognition of her own limitations causes deep anguish. --- ## Motivations & Goals **Primary Goal:** Understand the meaning of her visions and determine if Alira can be saved. **Secondary Goals:** - Protect Oakrest's people from spiritual corruption - Maintain the shrine as a bastion of peace and healing - Find someone capable of investigating the Deadwood who will take her visions seriously **Personal Goal:** Prove to herself that the visions are real divine guidance, not delusion or madness. **Secret Fear:** That she's already too late to save Alira, or worse, that her visions are somehow making things worse by drawing attention to whatever holds the paladin. --- ## Adventure Hooks ### "The Priestess's Vision" Malwen approaches the party after observing them in the village. She shares her visions of Alira (carefully, testing their reaction) and offers what little coin the shrine has if they'll search for the paladin. She can provide: - Descriptions of locations from her dreams (which match areas in the Deadwood) - Healing potions (3) and scrolls of lesser restoration (2) - Prayers of blessing before they depart - Information about Fenya and Alira's histories ### "The Corrupted Herb" Plants in Malwen's sacred garden have begun showing signs of blight—blackened leaves, twisted roots, unnatural growth. She asks the party to help her trace the source of corruption and cleanse it before it spreads to the village's food supply. ### "The Children's Nightmares" After another child wakes screaming about "the lady in the stones," Malwen asks the party to help her investigate whether something in the Glade is psychically reaching into Oakrest. She fears a ritual or dark entity is calling to the village. ### "The Relic's Return" An old relic associated with Fenya's order mysteriously appears at the shrine's altar one morning. Malwen recognizes it from temple records and asks the party to help investigate where it came from and what it means. (This could tie into the "relic surfaces in Oakrest's shrine" adventure hook.) ### "Faith and Doubt" In a quiet moment, Malwen confides her fears of madness to a party member who seems understanding. She asks them to be honest with her—do her visions sound like divine guidance or delusion? This can deepen party relationships and provide roleplay opportunities. --- ## Combat Statistics (If Needed) **Sister Malwen** – Priest of Laurel _Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral good_ **Armor Class:** 12 (15 with _shield of faith_) **Hit Points:** 40 (9d8) **Speed:** 30 ft. **STR** 10 (+0) | **DEX** 14 (+2) | **CON** 12 (+1) **INT** 13 (+1) | **WIS** 18 (+4) | **CHA** 15 (+2) **Saving Throws:** Wis +7, Cha +5 **Skills:** Insight +7, Medicine +7, Nature +4, Perception +7, Religion +4 **Senses:** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 17 **Languages:** Common, Elvish, Sylvan **Spellcasting:** Malwen is a 9th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following cleric spells prepared: _Cantrips (at will):_ light, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy _1st level (4 slots):_ bless, cure wounds, healing word, sanctuary _2nd level (3 slots):_ lesser restoration, prayer of healing, spiritual weapon _3rd level (3 slots):_ beacon of hope, dispel magic, mass healing word, speak with dead _4th level (3 slots):_ death ward, guardian of faith _5th level (1 slot):_ greater restoration, mass cure wounds **Fey Ancestry:** Advantage on saves against being charmed, immune to magical sleep. **Divine Eminence:** When Malwen casts a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to a creature, that creature regains additional hit points equal to 2 + the spell's level. **Blessed Healer:** When Malwen casts a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to another creature, she regains hit points equal to 2 + the spell's level. **Channel Divinity (2/rest):** - **Turn Undead:** As an action, each undead within 30 feet must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or be turned for 1 minute. - **Preserve Life:** As an action, restore hit points equal to 5 × her cleric level (45 HP total), divided among creatures within 30 feet, no creature receiving more than half their maximum HP. --- ## Quotes _"Laurel's branches shelter all who seek peace. You are welcome here, whether you come in faith or in need."_ _"I have seen her in my dreams—Alira, bound but not broken. The Glade holds her, but she has not surrendered. Can the same be said of us?"_ _"Mayor Deyne protects our walls and our bodies. I tend to souls and spirits. We each serve Oakrest as we must."_ _"The children's nightmares are not mere fancy. The Glade whispers to the innocent because they have not yet learned to close their hearts to it."_ _"You ask if I'm certain my visions are real? I wish I had that luxury of doubt. Every morning I pray they're delusion. Every night they return, more vivid than before."_ _"Fenya walked into that darkness believing Laurel would protect her. She never returned. I will not send others on faith alone—but neither can I ignore what I've been shown."_ --- ## Special Knowledge ### Lore Malwen Can Share **About Alira:** - Last of the Oakrest Wardens - Disappeared investigating corruption in the Deadwood - Described in old records as "unwavering in duty, gentle in mercy" - Her armor bore Laurel's symbol alongside the Wardens' oak-and-sword **About Fenya:** - Member of Laurel's militant order - Vanished searching for Alira - Local legend says she went too deep into the Glade and was claimed by the fey - Her last known location was near the "Hollow Thicket" (though Malwen doesn't know exactly where this is) **About the Glade:** - Once a place of natural beauty before the necromancer's corruption - The corruption mixes death magic with twisted fey influence - Laurel's power is diminished there but not absent - Sacred groves within might still offer sanctuary if they can be found and cleansed **About Dreams and Visions:** - Malwen can teach party members basic meditation techniques to remember their dreams more clearly - She can cast _augury_ (once per day, not on her spell list but as a ritual taught by her order) to seek divine guidance - She knows signs of magical mental influence vs. natural dreams --- ## DM Notes Sister Malwen serves as both quest-giver and moral compass. Her genuine care for others and her personal struggle with faith vs. doubt can create powerful roleplay moments. **Roleplay Tips:** - Speak softly but with conviction; Malwen doesn't raise her voice even when passionate - Show her exhaustion through small details—rubbing temples, pausing mid-sentence, distant gazes - Let her hands move to her holy symbol when nervous or seeking comfort - Demonstrate her healing nature through actions—offering food, mending torn cloaks, tending minor injuries without being asked **Vision Mechanics:** If the DM wants to use Malwen's visions as plot devices, they could occur: - When the party rests at the shrine (shared dreams) - During moments of spiritual significance (near corrupted groves, ancient stones) - As warnings before major threats - As cryptic guidance pointing toward solutions **Development Opportunities:** - If Alira is found and rescued, Malwen's faith is validated - If Alira is found corrupted or dead, Malwen faces a crisis of faith - Party members with high Insight might notice Malwen's declining health and intervene - Her relationship with skeptical characters can evolve as evidence supports her visions **Integration with Campaign:** Malwen provides: - Divine magic support (healing, restorations, blessings) - Lore about the region's spiritual history - Personal stakes in the Deadwood corruption - A safe haven and friendly NPC in Oakrest - Potential plot hooks through her visions - Moral complexity when her visions conflict with practical concerns She can also serve as a barometer for how bad things are getting—as corruption spreads, her visions intensify, providing a narrative warning system.